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Clarinet Basics, Foundations for Clarinet Players

By John Cipolla
Embouchure
Harmonics
Hand Position
Tonguing/Articulation
Scales
Etudes
Solos
Chord Progressions
Embouchure
The clarinet embouchure can be formed through a combination of saying the letter
Q and creating the mouth formation when one whistles. (reword first sentence) When
saying this letter, the chin becomes flat and the corners of the mouth are pulled
downward. The inner part of the lower lip should slightly cover the bottom front teeth.
Whistling brings the lips muscles forward rather than being pulled back. Though the lips
should not completely forward, the combination of saying Q and whistling helps to
provide the basic foundation to a clarinet embouchure.
To gauge how much lower lip to place over the lower teeth, place the index finger
flat against the chin, pointing up to the ceiling, as if pointing to the bottom of the nose.
The finger should extend slightly above the lower lip, slightly touching the top lip. Press
the finger firmly against the chin and lower lip. The pressure of the finger will push a
small portion of the lower lip over the bottom teeth, into the mouth. Next, roll the tip of
the finger slightly into the mouth, so the finger is now at an angle with the lower portion
of the finger farther away from the chin. Say the letter Q with the finger in this position,

while closing the corners of the mouth around the finger. The chin should be flat. Try this
next with the clarinet.

The lower lip of the clarinet embouchure should only be firm enough to prevent air
leakage. The player should avoid playing with a smile embouchure. Smiling pulls the
corners of the embouchure back towards the ears and creates a firm lower lip that pinches
the reed and causes a tight, pinched sound. The player should also avoid playing with a
raspberry chin (little bumps on the chin). Saying the letter Q should help correct this.
Another little technique is to stand in front of a mirror, say the letter Q, place the clarinet
in the mouth, while keeping the embouchure formation from saying Q, then placing the
index finger horizontally across the chin to reemphasize the flat chin concept.

Once the outside of the embouchure is formed correctly, the oral cavity should be
considered. Whispering the sound HHHHEEEEE helps create good tongue placement
and a compact oral cavity. The HHHHHEEEE sound also keeps the tongue high in the
mouth, touching the top back molars. When saying this sound, remember to whisper the
HHHHEEEEE sound and to not speak it with the vocal cords. The tongue should
remain in this position most of the time when playing the clarinet. The player will find
that though the tongue moves to a slightly lower position occasionally, keeping it high
most of the time will help the player to produce a focused tone. When the player has a
low tongue position, the oral cavity is very open and the result is a more diffuse
expulsion of the air stream. The low tongue position produces a spread and unfocused
sounding tone. When the tongue is kept high and touching the top back molars, the air

John Cipolla 2003

Clarinet Basics

can flow over the top of the tongue through a narrower space between the tongue and the
roof of the mouth. The air stream then moves at a faster rate through a smaller area,
producing a more focused tone quality.

Harmonics
Playing overtones can help a player learn to focus the air stream and develop an aural and
muscular familiarity (in the lower lip of the embouchure) with the effect the air stream
has when producing notes in various registers. The following exercise can be used as a
warm-up and should be done for only one or two minutes. Play a G on the top line of the
staff with the regular G fingering, at a mezzo forte dynamic level. Begin the note with no
tongue. Next, with the exact same G fingering and no tongue, blow a firm amount of air
into the instrument and try to play a high E, three ledger lines above the staff. If you are
uncertain what the E sounds like, play a high E with the regular fingering so your ears
hear the pitch. When you can produce the high E with the G fingering, play the G again.
One complete cycle of this exercise consists of playing the G, playing the high E with the
G fingering, then playing the G again. All three of these pitches should be played at a
mezzo forte dynamic level, with no tongue to begin each note, and with enough space
between each note to allow the embouchure to reset. Continue this exercise on every note
chromatically up to high C, two ledger lines above the staff.

Hand Position
The position of the hands and fingers, when playing the clarinet, should be similar to the
relaxed position of the hands when the arms are dropped to ones side. To find the proper

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hand position, drop one hand to the side so it rests with the fingers pointing downward
towards the floor. Do not extend the fingers, but rather, let them simply fall into their
natural position, which is slightly curved. Next, bend the arm up at the elbow until the
forearm is parallel with the floor, leaving the hand, wrist, and fingers in exactly the same
position as when they were pointing down towards the floor. Now place the clarinet in
the hand that was brought up from its resting position, adapting the finger position only
enough so that the fingers can cover the rings and holes of the instrument. Strive to keep
the fingers as close to the relaxed position that they are in when they are pointing towards
the floor in a resting position. It is helpful to occasionally drop the hands to ones side
while practicing to remind the hand muscles what a relaxed hand position should feel
like.

Tonguing/Articulation
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Four steps to clarinet articulation


Tip to tip
Where the tongue touches the reed
What Part of the tongue touches the reed
Pressure of tongue on the reed
Angle of the mouthpiece
Constant Air Support
Exercises
Articulation resources
Articulation is a very important aspect of clarinet playing. Good articulation

habits can help improve problems with a clarinet players sightreading, phrasing, rhythm,
and sense of pulse. Speed is the usually the first element that people think of when
discussing articulation on the clarinet. Though this is important, it is only one aspect of
the process of articulation. Before speed, a player should understand what portion of the
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tongue makes contact with the reed and where on the reed the tongue makes contact.
When these fundamentals are in place, articulation is a combination of constant air
support, light contact with the reed, and focused attention on rhythm and pulsepractice
with a metronome is imperative.

Four Steps to Articulate a Note


(1) Place the tongue on the reed and close off the air from the reed.
(2) Blow air against the reed, though no sound is produced because the reed is
closed off.
(3) Release the tongue and a sound is produced.
(4) Return the tongue to close off the reed/mouthpiece opening and the sound is
stopped again.
Through the entire process there should be a constant pressure of air with the
tongue acting as a valve. The valve stops the air from vibrating the reed and
producing a sound, but is continually pushing against the reed and mouthpiece
opening.

What Part of the Tongue Touches the Reed


The tip of the tongue is the portion of the tongue that generally gives the most
articulation flexibility. The tip can be anywhere from the exact tip, where the taste
buds begin, to slightly above the tip (up to about 1/8 of an inch).

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What Part of the Reed the Tongue Touches


The tongue can make contact the reed anywhere from the exact the tip, or edge of
the reed, to slightly back from the tip (up to about 1/8 of an inch). The farther
back on the reed the player tongues, the less control there is of squeaks. Many
accomplished clarinetists tongue slightly back from the tip. The tongue naturally
makes contact with this part of the reed because of the 30 to 45 degree angle of
the mouthpiece in the mouth. Tonguing at the tip is acceptable though, as long as
the tongue is kept relaxed and kept relatively high in the mouth.
Pressure of the Tongue on the Reed
The tongue pressure on the reed should be very light. The tickle exercise
(developed by Kelly BurkeThe University of North Carolina at Greensboro) is a
helpful way to develop a feel for tongue pressure against the reed. Play an open
G. While playing the G, slowly introduce the tongue to the reed, gradually
increasing the pressure, while not stopping the tone. The tongue should muffle the
tone. Continue slowly increasing the pressure against the reed then gradually
decrease the pressure of the tongue and slowly remove the tongue from the reed.
When done correctly, the tip of the tongue will tickle upon initial contact with the reed.
Once the player can muffle the tone easily, the speed of the tongue against the reed can
gradually increase until a bouncing staccato is developed. The tongue should remain
relaxed throughout this exercise. The tongue will be relaxed if one thinks of the tongue
muscle flapping loosely like a flag in the wind. The most important element of bounce
staccato is a constant air stream. Another analogy is to think of a rubber ball bouncing.

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The longer the ball bounces, the closer to the ground it gets, and the faster it gets. The
tongue should react the same way. A steady stream of air should allow the tongue to
gently bounce without any tightening or strain on the tongue muscle.

Angle of the Mouthpiece


The angle of the mouthpiece in the mouth can affect where the tongue
makes contact with the reed. Since a clarinet mouthpiece is at a 30-40 degree
angle, the tongue will naturally make contact with the area just below the tip of
the reed. It is also acceptable for the tongue to make contact with the reed directly
on the tip of the reed. This happens when the player holds the angle of the clarinet
mouthpiece out more, thus making the tip of the mouthpiece closer to where the
tongue naturally goes when it moves to articulate a note. Saying TEE TEE will
simulate the proper placement of the tongue.
The angle of the saxophone mouthpiece, as a matter of comparison, is
essentially straight out, rather than angled down out of the mouth. This
mouthpiece position makes contact with the actual tip of the reed more natural.
Developing good articulation habits on the clarinet will help with saxophone
articulation.

Constant Air Support


By maintaining a steady flow of air, as if you are trying to blow against the tip of
the reed, the tongue can remain relaxed and act as a valve starting and stopping a

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constant pressure of air. Exercise #1 focuses on the constant flow of air and a
relaxed tongue.
Exercises:
Preliminary Exercises
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Legato tongue and constant air flow


Short notes and constant air flow
Bounce tongue
Double tongue

Etudes and Daily Studies


o Langenus
o Trevor Wye exercises (dominant seventh and tonic arpeggios)
o Opperman 5 note chromatic scale
o Schirmer Flute Articulation Book
o Reginald Kell Staccato Studies
Orchestral Studies
o Mendelsohn-Midsummer Nights Dream
o Smetena-Bartered Bride

EXERCISE #1, Legato Tongue and Constant Air Flow

Tongue every note lightly-even the notes that are slurred. Each bar should be
thought of as a whole note with the tongue simply acting as a valve, gently
interrupting a constant air flow. Strive for a light and gentle contact with the reed.
Each note should be long and legato tongued, NOT short and clipped. Use the
syllable, "DaaaDaaa" or Thaaa Thaaa to articulate each note. This helps to
make each note connect smoothly from one to the next.
EXERCISE #2, Short Notes and Constant Air Flow

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1. Play each note short, but keep the air pressure moving against the reed
(think of playing a whole note but the tongue acts as a valve and stops the
note).
2. Make sure the sound and any air sound is completely stopped during the
rests. Though the air pressure is continually pressing against the reed,
there should be complete silence between each note.
3. Play exercise at quarter note equals 60 on the metronome
4. When this exercise is mastered, with no sound in between the notes and a
relaxed tongue, continue with other notes moving up and down
chromatically

EXERCISE #3-Bounce Tongue


Play this exercise with a metronome on quarter note equals 50.

Example A: Play the whole note and be aware of the steady flow of air you are
blowing against the tip of the reed.
Example B: Play the dotted eighth, 2 sixteenth pattern, letting the tongue act as a
valve, and continuing to think of playing a whole note with your air stream. The
slur is there to remind you that these notes are all one unit. The dotted eighth
should be played short but not staccatissimo and not with a hard tongue stroke. Be
gentle with the tongue pressure and think of the tongue bouncing on the steady air
stream.
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Example C: This is just another way to think of example B, by remembering that


the 32nd notes are pick ups into the next downbeat.
Example D: When B and C are mastered, move on to Example D. When doing
this exercise, make sure the tongue stays relaxed. If it becomes tense or you find
yourself "puffing" the air instead of keeping a steady stream of air, stop and
restart the exercise. Remember to think of the 32 notes as pick-ups.

EXERCISE #4, Triplets


Keep steady air, think of the triplets as pick-ups to each next downbeat, and keep
the tongue relaxed.

EXERCISE #5, 32nd Notes


Keep steady air, think of the 16ths as pick-ups to each next downbeat, and keep
the tongue relaxed.

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Developing the Bounce Tongue to Maintain a Steady Airstream


Once control is developed with tongue pressure on the reed, one can work
towards developing a bounce tongue. The tongue should remain relaxed and
bounce while the air is pushed through the mouthpiece.

Some players have developed the habit of anchoring the tip of the tongue behind
the bottom teeth and making contact with the reed more towards the center of the
tongue. There is really nothing inherently wrong with this approach if the result is
a controlled and flexible ability to articulate. This is often not the case though, and
primarily because of the popping sound that this type of articulation usually
produces, it is typically not recommended.

The bounce tongue brings together the ideas of making a light and gentle contact
with the reed as well as keeping a constant flow of air pressure as if playing a
whole note. The tongue shouldnt be thought of as a muscle that needs to be
strengthened as a weight lifter might train his or her muscles. It should rather be
thought of as a muscle that requires precision, flexibility, and relaxation. Speed
will come as the precision, proper stroke, and flexibility develops.

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Articulation Resources
I strongly encourage players to focus on articulation as a primary part of the development
as a clarinetist. Practice articulation EVERY DAY. Learn to single tongue lightly and
rapidly. Learn to double tongue, then practice combining the two, as Clark Fobes does in
his article on articulation. Practice articulation both with and without the instrument.
Orchestral Studies
Mendelsohn-Midsummer Nights Dream
Smetena-Bartered Bride
Schirmer Flute Articulation Book
Trevor Wye-Flute Articulation
Langenus Method for Clarinet, Book III, Pg 122
Reginald Kell Staccato Studies
Robert Spring Article
Clark Fobes Article

Scales and Chord Progressions


As many teachers have struggled to get their students to practice their scales, I too
continue to try to inspire my students with creative, fun, and productive approaches to
practicing scales and arpeggios. These really are the A, B, Cs of music and the more
the player practices them, the more technical flexibility a player will have to sight-read
and learn most music relatively quickly. Rather than learning to play scales by rote, a
player is a more complete musician if they understand how scales are used to construct
music in different keys and how they often imply certain harmonies. A player can then
make informed choices about phrase interpretation, dynamics, and breathing, justifying
their choices with concrete theoretical knowledge.

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Teaching the student learn a melody, by ear, with no written music, seems to be
the approach that seems to have the quickest results in helping the student remember
major and minor keys and scale finger pattern. I usually select tunes from the Dixieland
or traditional jazz repertoire because of the relatively simple song forms, melodies, and
chords. Once I started doing this I became a bit overwhelmed by the vast number of tunes
there are to choose from, feeling that I was not doing the student justice if I only
introduce them to a few tunes, not the majority of the repertoire. I now realize though that
once the student learns this approach, they can explore the repertoire themselves, learning
tunes that interest them specifically.
I begin by teaching the student the melody of the song first. I simply play the
melody bar by bar, telling them what key the melody is in and what scale corresponds to
that key. As they gradually learn the melody, we reinforce it by playing it in unison
together. If I hear a song that I like but do not know it, I spend a little time and learn the
melody and chords. I am continually being introduced to new repertoire, which is one of
the privileges of teaching.
In learning to play a wind instrument, we often focus on the melody and not the
harmony of the music, because we can only play one note at a time. Learning the
harmony behind the melody helps to give the melody more significance. By comparing
the melody notes to the underlying harmony, we can understand the important structural
notes in the melody.
Once the melody is learned, I teach the student the chords of the song. The chords
are usually quite simple, often consisting of I, IV, and V chords. I have them arpeggiate
the chordsin timewith a metronome. This exercise teaches the student the difference

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between major, minor, and dominant seventh arpeggios. I try not to include 7th chords
other than a dominant seventh chord so as to keep things simple.
Once they are comfortable with the melody and chords, I play a walking bass line
while they play the melody. I play the bass line in quarter notes on my clarinet or
saxophone, emphasizing the underlying chords of the song.(example of bass lines with
arpeggiation and then with scales) with a combination of arpeggios and fragments of
scales.
At this point, the student begins to hear the sound of the chords beneath the
melody they are playing. I then teach them the chords of the song in groups of two or
four bars, so they can play the bass line while I play the melody. Once they are able to
play the melody and walking bass line, I alternate having the student play the melody,
while I play the bass line, then the student playing the bass line while I play the melody.
The chords in Dixieland tunes usually change every two or four bars, so there are not
very many chords to remember at a time. Also, it is quite amazing what the ear and
fingers can remember with a little repetition. It is also helpful to note that learning chords
are kind of like learning melodies. With a few tries, many players can figure out a simple
melody by ear on their instrument. The ear works the same for chords with enough
repetition. Frequent playing by ear helps to develop this skill.
When the student can play through the song easily, both melody and bass line, we
then learn the song in another key. I help the student along by telling them what note of
the scale the melody starts on and then encourage the student to think of the intervals
between melody notes. Many students respond quickly to playing and repeating and not
thinking intervals at all, letting the ear be the guide. I try to encourage students to learn

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the melodies through a combination of thinking what scale degree each melody note is on
and just letting the ear be the guide. Both approaches are important in the development of
a comprehensively trained musician.
I try to choose melodies that the student can learn in one or two lessons so they
feel an immediate sense of accomplishment. I often use songs that Sidney Bechet wrote
or played. He was a New Orleans jazz musician who played music completely by ear. For
the more advanced students, I teach them Charlie Parker melodies and solos by ear, using
the piano to teach the lines, so that the student can hear how the chords and melody lines
correspond. The piano is also helpful as a visual tool. Because the phrasing, rhythms, and
harmonies of Charlie Parkers music is quite advanced, I reserve this material for students
that are specifically interested in developing their improvisation skills.
Minor Scales and the Keyboard
Teaching minor scales at a keyboard is an excellent visual tool to aid in
understanding how minor scales are constructed. If a piano is not available, I keep a
portable keyboard available in my studio. It does not have to be anything elaborate. I
bought my keyboard at Wal-Mart for $9.99 in the childrens section.
At Piano
o Play one octave major scale up and down (one hand)
o Count down three half steps from root of major scale, play a scale starting on this
new note, using the same notes as the first major scale. This is the natural minor
scale. It is also the relative minor of the major key.
o Play the natural minor scale again while counting out loud. Give each note a
number (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 1 (because youre back at the octave again).

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o Play the minor scale again, this time raise the 7th note one half step both ascending
and descending. This is harmonic minor scale.
o Next, play a the natural minor scale again, while raising the 6th and 7th notes one
half step ascending, then lower them back to their original notes when
descending. This is the melodic minor scale.
At Piano and Clarinet
o Next, do all of these steps again. This time though, after each time you play a
scale on the piano, immediately play it on your clarinet. Note that since the
clarinet is a transposing instrument, you will be a whole step lower than the piano.
Just ignore this for now. The point of the exercise is to immediately relate the
visual element of learning the notes and intervals of a scale on the keyboard to
your clarinet.

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